Hoteliers decided last year to work together to bring more visitors to the South Coast by supporting a small fee for each hotel night’s stay. An assessment known as a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), is expected to generate approximately $1.8 million annually to be used to create enhanced marketing materials specific to southern Santa Barbara County (Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara). Monies will be collected and distributed through the Santa Barbara County Conference & Visitors Bureau. The oversight board will include lodging representatives
from each area. Goleta will also receive approximately $25,000 a year to bolster tourism in our community.

If you have ideas on encouraging more overnight hotel stays or have local festivals or activities that might be marketed aspart of this effort, please contact Valerie Kushnerov, Public Information Officer at the City at  961-7507 or vkushnerov@CityofGoleta.org.